Softball Survives Scare To Sweep Panthers

Sarah Broeseker hit a double and a game-winning homer in game one and added two doubles in game two. Photo by Joel Auerbach.

MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—The Barry Buccaneers worked extra-hard to take a doubleheader sweep from the Florida Tech Panthers at Buccaneer Softball Field on Wednesday afternoon to complete a Sunshine State Conference series sweep. The Bucs won game one 9-1 in six innings and rallied for a 4-3 win in nine innings in the finale.

In the first game, the Bucs (20-4, 3-0 SSC) scored nine runs in the fifth and sixth innings combined to end the game on the run rule.

Lindsy Dugan had given the Panthers (11-14, 1-5 SSC) a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a solo home run over the centerfield fence.

Barry’s Sarah Broeseker answered the blast with a two-run shot of her own in the fifth inning. One out later in the fifth, Alyssa Goldsmith drew a walk and Brianna Smith singled. Julie Brito knocked in Goldsmith with a single and both she and Smith moved up on the throw home. With runners at second and third, Kelly Martinez laced a double into right-center to score both runs, but was thrown out at third.

In the sixth, Amber Durkin led off with an infield single and was sacrificed to second. She stole third as Natalia Ojeda drew a walk to put runners at the corners for Broeseker. Broeseker doubled to left center to score Durkin. Grace Collins reached on an infield hit on a high chopper to third to lead the bases. Goldsmith dropped down a bunt to score Ojeda and beat it out to keep the bases loaded and Smith followed with a bloop single into rightfield to score Broeseker. Collins came home on a single by Brito to end the game.

Alexis Yohe (8-1) earned the win. She allowed just one hit, the homer by Dugan, and did not walk a batter while striking out six. Brianna Barth (6-7) took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits and two walks in 4.2 innings. Taylor Smith surrendered the other five runs on eight hits in just two-thirds of a frame.

In game two, the Panthers led 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 before the Bucs rallied for a 4-3 win. Barry got on the board first in the opening frame as Broeseker and Goldsmith both doubled.

After the Panthers took a 2-1 lead, Martinez smacked a solo homer in the fourth inning, the first of her career, to tie the game at 2-2.

The Panthers grabbed the lead back in the fifth. Lauren Cole doubled with one out and came home one out later on a single by Emily Densem.

The Panthers held on to the lead until the bottom of the seventh. Durkin was hit by a pitch leading off and stole second. Ojeda cashed her in with a single to left, tying it up 3-3.

In the ninth, Ojeda drew a lead-off walk and went to third on a double by Broeseker. She came in when Collins’ groundball got away from Tech shortstop Natalie beach.

Smith (9-3) worked four scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win. She gave up two hits and struck out two. Barth was tagged with the loss, taking all three in the series, after giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks in 3.2 innings of relief.

The Bucs host the Saint Leo Lions on Friday and Saturday in another SSC series, with a single game on Mar. 9 at 6:00 pm and a doubleheader on Mar. 10 at noon.